SUMMARY: Halitosis can be caused by a number of medical conditions, some of them mild, others more serious. These can include sinusitis, gingivitis, tooth decay, periodontitis and tonsil stones. However, in the rarest of cases, injuries to the mouth or head may also cause bad breath. One man in south China provides a case in point.

Posted: February 21, 2011

halitosis can be caused by a number of medical conditions, some of them mild, others more serious. These can include sinusitis, gingivitis, tooth decay, periodontitis and tonsil stones. However, in the rarest of cases, injuries to the mouth or head may also cause bad breath. One man in south China provides a case in point.

Li Fuyan, a 30-year-old from the Yunnan Province, recently entered the Yuxi City People's Hospital complaining of headaches, difficulty breathing and bad breath, according to the Associated Press.

After X-raying the man's skull, doctors made an unusual discovery. Li had a knife blade in his head.

The news source said that the blade appeared to have entered under the right side of the man's jaw, near his neck. It penetrated into the center of his skull but did not severe any major arteries or nerves.

The patient recalled having been stabbed in the head during a robbery four years previously, but he had not noticed that the blade snapped off in his skull.

In rare cases, bad breath can indicate serious medical conditions. These can include kidney failure, diabetes, acid reflux and other disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Apparently, foreign objects can do the same.

When halitosis is overpowering, simply rinsing with a specialty breath freshening product can neutralize odors and leave the mouth moist.